But the landscape has changed in the last 24 hours as far as this fiercely-contested fixture is concerned on a couple of counts – Fabricio Coloccini’s unforgiveable red card at Goodison Park and the exit of Gus Poyet at the Stadium of Light.

Coloccini’s inevitable three match ban for a stupid tackle on Aaron Lennon means Newcastle go into the fixture with just one fit centre-back in the shape of Mike Williamson.

Williamson may need to be wrapped in cotton wool too because there’s still 90 minutes to get through, with Arsenal due at St James’ Park before then.

A wider concern is the exit of Poyet.

This isn’t the first time Sunderland have opted to pull the trapdoor lever just ahead of a derby.

Both were shown the door in the build-up to the Tyne-Wear derby and history has repeated itself. Not that Poyet should be ashamed of his derby record with three wins on the spin in charge of Sunderland – two of them coming at St James’ Park.

In some ways you would have thought they would stick with the man who has managed to motivate his team.

But perhaps the fear of a similar capitulation on derby day to that against Aston Villa on Saturday resulted in Poyet being handed his cards.

To the outsider looking in you wonder whether Poyet deserved more time after leading Sunderland to both the great escape and the League Cup final last season.

Even now, they still sit just above the relegation zone and the way Newcastle have rolled over in derbies, another win against their Tyne-Wear rivals might have been a turning point.

The shoot-out on the pitch will take place regardless.

But what of a shoot-out off it?

Surely there will be some of the manager’s on Newcastle’s wish-list that would interest Sunderland longer term?

It might be unlikely but imagine the reaction of say Remie Garde or Christophe Galtier ended up in talks with the red and whites. Unthinkable!

But then so are derby defeats, perhaps a big factor in Ellis Short’s reasoning to get rid of Poyet.